Guidance for Students
Outcome 1
Outcome 2
Examine personal suitability for
vocational area
Identify health and safety regulations
and safe working practices
Outcome 3
Outcome 4
Identify the main features of the work
situation
Carry out a series of tasks under
supervision
You should accept responsibility for your work and
view it with a positive attitude.
 You should develop the ability to be self-critical and
then self-correcting.
 You should always proof-read your work and
correct your own errors prior to submission.

You will be expected to meet deadlines and to
develop your skill of prioritising work.
 You will be encouraged to develop the skills
needed for working in an office, which include
proof-reading, spelling, punctuation and referencing
of materials.
 You will assess your own performance and decide
on your suitability to working in an office
environment.

Outcome 1
The Administration Assistant
 The role of the Administration Assistant is a very
demanding one.
 There are many duties an Administration
Assistant is required to perform.
 The main aim of an Administration Assistant’s
role is to provide support to other members of
the administration department.
In what way does an
Administration Assistant support others?
The role of the Administration Assistant
Assist with
reception duties
Set up and
maintain a diary
and appointment
system
Receive incoming
and make
outgoing
telephone calls
Deal with
incoming and
outgoing mail
Word processing:
general
correspondence
Keep a filing and
record system for
the department
Click on each role
for more details
Photocopy and
collate documents
The role of the Administration Assistant - summary
 The Administration Assistant is required to carry out
a very wide range of tasks.
 The tasks can be routine (ie the Assistant performs
these on a regular basis) or non-routine (ie the
Assistant deals with the situation when it occurs).
Routine tasks
Non-routine tasks
Filing documents
Answering the telephone
Photocopying
Dealing with customer enquiries
Dealing with customer complaints
Skills and qualities of an Administration Assistant
Skills
Qualities
 ICT – ability
 POLITE - ability to
to use software
packages for word
processing.
 ORGANISATION - ability to
manage resources and
ensure that deadlines are
met.
 COMMUNICATION – ability
to speak to and listen to
customers and staff in the
workplace or on the
telephone.
communicate well in all
situations.
 FRIENDLY – ability to
welcome others.
 HELPFUL – ability to provide
help where required.
 PATIENCE – ability to listen at
all times.
Recruiting an Administration Assistant
 The main document used to employ the best person
for the job is called a job description.
 The job description is used to show:


what the job involves
the main duties of the post.
Example job description
Administration Assistant
Permanent, full-time
We are looking for an Administration Assistant to help in
our busy department. This post is primarily to deal with a
range of services within the department that require
contact with customers and staff, therefore good
communication skills are important.
The main duties include preparing word-processing
documents, dealing with mail, filing and covering reception.
Other duties may include answering the telephone,
maintaining an appointment diary and photocopying.
Candidates should have up-to-date experience of using a
word processor and have good organisational skills.
Activity 1
 Ask your teacher/tutor for activity 1.
Office Practice: An Activity Approach
Outcome 2
Identify accurate safe
working practices for
your occupation
Identify safe
working practices in
the workplace
Office Practice: An Activity Approach
Outcome 3
1 - Reception
4 - Mail
2 - Diary
5 - Word processing
3 - Telephone
6 - Filing
7 - Photocopying
Office Practice: An Activity Approach
Outcome 4
 Now
that you have completed all the
activities, you are ready to do the
assessment.
 Tell your teacher/tutor that you are ready.
Good luck!